In 2-cycle engines, the smokeless oil reduces hydrocarbons by 32 percent, cuts the emissions of carbon monoxide by 48 percent, and of nitrous oxide by 80 percent, according to Green Earth Technologies.

The company also makes cleaning products for cars, boats, and homes. The entire line costs the same as traditional, toxic products, Marshall said. The recyclable packaging uses soy inks and biodegradable paper.

Green Earth Technologies' skunk works are developing 50 more products, including additives Marshall said he hopes could be used in airplane biofuels, which are being tested by Virgin Atlantic Airways.

With headquarters in Stamford, Conn., Green Earth Technologies has 250 employees and is traded on the pink sheets. In January it raised $2.1 million from Founders Technology and eight angel investors.

Marshall, who has worked in venture capital for three decades, said he's working with the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the American Petroleum Institute to develop a green label for a wide range of consumer chemical products.

"We'd like to create the standard for what is green, very analogous to how we created 802.11 and TCP/IP standards," he said.

Another clean tech start-up eyeing the market for eco-friendly car products is SOMS Technologies, which claims its engine oil filter could end the era of the 3,000-mile oil change.

Nano Chemical Systems Holdings announced last April that its NanOil, made from palm oils, would become commercially available. However, this writer couldn't find signs that NanOil is available or reach the company.

Some environmentalists object to the harvesting of palm oil particularly in Indonesia, which is clearing virgin rainforests for farming.